Seven 1 of 2
by khohen1
Summary: A challenge issued on an LJ community: Take the Seven Holy Virtues and write a 100 word drabble for each. Character: Dan


Title: Seven, pt 1/2  
  
Rated: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: A girl's gotta go on in a world where Sports Night no longer comes on television except for late late late at night on Comedy Central, so she steals the characters and writes up her own stuff. . . they're not mine, but if Danny's yours, I'll gladly take him off your hands.  
  
Synopsis: Written for LJ Community called "in the tall grass". This is where I found the following challenge: Seven Holy Virtues challenge--take a character, any fandom and write seven drabbles based on each of the seven virtues--hope, charity, temperance, prudence, fortitude, justice and faith.  
  
Notes: 7 drabbles consisting of 100 words each. . . most are actually more like 108 words cause they ran over. This will be followed up soon with a similar format involving The Seven Deadly Sins.  
  
Seven Holy Virtues  
  
Augustine conceived of history as a dramatic struggle between the good in humanity, as expressed in loyalty to the "city of God," or community of saints, and the evil in humanity, as embodied in the earthly city with its material values. His view of human life was pessimistic, asserting that happiness is impossible in the world of the living, where even with good fortune, which is rare, awareness of approaching death would mar any tendency toward satisfaction. He believed further that without the religious virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which require divine grace to be attained, a person cannot develop the natural virtues of courage (fortitude), justice, temperance, and wisdom (prudence). His analyses of time, memory, and inner religious experience have been a source of inspiration for metaphysical and mystical thought.  
  
- "Philosophy, Western," Microsoft(r) Encarta(r) Online Encyclopedia 2003  
  
I. Faith   
  
belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof  
  
"When was the last time you went," she asked, staring unblinkingly at him.  
  
He shrugged. "I mean, I can't exactly tell you a day..."  
  
"Dan..."  
  
"It's been months," he said, frowning. "Probably Yom Kippur."  
  
"This year," she said, one edge of her mouth curling up in what might have been a smile.  
  
He leaned forward, scrubbing at his face with his palms. "I don't..."  
  
"Dan," she said, cutting him off and leaning forward.  
  
"Abby..." He shrugged, trying to smile, failing miserably. "I'm busy..."  
  
"When, Dan?"  
  
"I don't see the point." He shrugged and tried a half hearted smile. "Ya know, it never really did anything for me anyway."  
  
II. Hope   
  
the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with the Lord's help  
  
"When's the last time you felt that everything was fine," she asked.  
  
"Everything *is* fine," he said, laughing and shrugging.  
  
She nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "It's fine."  
  
"Yes," he said, nodding curtly.  
  
"Okay," she said.  
  
"Okay, it's not *fine,* but..." He faded off, frowning. "But it's not getting worse."  
  
"That's a sad way to live, Dan,' she said, folding her arms together at the wrist.  
  
"Tell me about it," he said, laughing.  
  
"Is there any part of the day you look forward to," she asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Abby..."  
  
"Is there?"  
  
He sighed, shrugging. "The end of it."  
  
III. Charity   
  
love directed toward God, as well as oneself and one's neighbors as objects of God's love  
  
"A smile?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, smiling at her. "Sometimes that's all it takes."  
  
"Sometimes all it takes to brighten your day is a smile," she asked, frowning. "But only if it's directed at you, right?"  
  
"Do you have to turn everything into a huge debate? I mean, seriously..."  
  
"Dan," she said, leaning back. "It's what I do."  
  
"Yes," he said. "If it's directed at me."  
  
"Cause that means they like you," she said, nodding at him.  
  
He sighed. "Yes, cause that's a bad thing, for people to like me."  
  
"And how about you, Dan," she said, cocking her head. "You ever smile in the mirror?"  
  
IV. Fortitude   
  
strength and endurance in a difficult or painful situation   
  
"It wasn't that bad, Dan," she said.  
  
"Yes it was," he said, bewildered. "Abby, you weren't there."  
  
"I saw it."  
  
He frowned. "You saw it..."  
  
"You're on television, Dan," she said, nodding. "I saw it."  
  
He laughed. "And you didn't commit me then?"  
  
"It wasn't that bad, Dan."  
  
He shook his head. "I lost it on the air, Abby. I humiliated him on the air."  
  
"Dan," she said. "You don't have to be perfect all the time."  
  
"That's good... cause I'm not, like, ever."  
  
"It's okay to lose it, Dan," she said, nodding. "Cause at least you have it to lose."  
  
V. Justice   
  
fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or decisions are made  
  
"It's fitting?"   
  
He laughed, nodding. "It's pretty fitting."  
  
"How is it fitting?"  
  
He sighed, shrugging. "I don't know,' he said. "He gets paid a lot, I get paid a little. I get emailed a lot, he gets emailed a little."  
  
"So, you're saying it's pretty even in the long run," she said. "Because he might get more money, but you get more love."  
  
He looked at her, shaking his head. "Why is it that every time you say something about my need to be liked you say it as if that's a bad thing?"  
  
"It's not a bad thing, Dan," she said, shaking her life. "It's just not everything."  
  
VI. Temperance   
  
self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire  
  
"I wanted to hit him," he said in a soft voice. "I wanted to sock him in the face." He shook his head. "Makes you look a little gay."  
  
"Why didn't you," she asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Why didn't I hit my Dad?"  
  
"Yes," she said.  
  
"Because it's called restraint," he said, laughing and shaking his head.  
  
"I suppose," she said with a sigh.  
  
"I wanted to, but I didn't, cause it wouldn't be right."  
  
She looked at him. "So you buried it."  
  
"Abby..."  
  
"There are punches other than physical ones, Dan," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe next time, switch tactics instead of burying it."  
  
VII. Prudence   
  
a tendency to evaluate situations carefully so as to avoid risk  
  
"And you don't feel you can tell him that?"  
  
"It's not that..." He frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. "It's not that I can't tell him."  
  
"But you didn't."  
  
"It's not his fault..."  
  
"It's how you feel, Dan," she said.  
  
"It's not how I want to feel," he said, sighing.  
  
"Dan, you're jealous," she said.  
  
"It's just... I'm not even on it," he said.  
  
She nodded. "And he's 92."  
  
"It's not the numbers Abby," he said, frowning. "It's just that I don't even rate."  
  
"You realize it always comes back to this, don't you?"  
  
"To Casey?"  
  
"To you making your self-worth reliant on other people." 


End file.
